Battle Mountain

Battle Mountain is the 25th book in Author C.J. Box’s epic Joe Pickett series featuring Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett. Each book in the series is a gripping, suspenseful masterpiece in characterizations, intertwined plot lines, and explosive action standing alone for the reading pleasure of new readers.

However, I highly recommend readers begin with book one and settle in to enjoy a complex, captivating, highly atmospheric ride through the outstanding series with characters you’ll either love or hate. 

Game Warden Joe Pickett and friend Nate Romanowski, a falconer, are still reeling from a previous vicious attack on their families by a madman that left Nate utterly devastated yet determined to hunt down and wield some old timey western justice to Axel Soledad. Leaving his young daughter with Joe’s wife, he disappears off the grid, a ghost in the wind, a villain’s worse nightmare in the dark, to team up with Geronimo, another man suffering losses brought about by the same evil man. Joe hasn’t heard from Nate in months when, once again, he’s tagged to carry out a special mission by reelected Governor Rubon – this time to conduct a discreet search for his missing son-in-law and his hunting guide who’ve gone dark and are apparently lost somewhere in the Sierra Madre mountain range. Torn between his professional and personal duties, Joe packs his gear into his truck and heads out to touch base with the newcomer game warden in the district including Battle Mountain before heading up the treacherous mountain to begin his search. Always diligent, Joe realizes the journey is perilous; however, he has no idea of the deadly storm brewing overhead and on the ground. Nor does he know that Nate and Geronimo’s search for Soledad has led them to infiltrate the same area. Joe’s search quickly morphs from tracking down a lost hunter to something more sinister to all concerned. One thing’s clear, there’s more at stake than two lost men and when the forces of nature and good vs. evil clash, things quickly turn deadly. Will anyone survive Battle Mountain? 

Battle Mountain is an explosive, highly atmospheric masterpiece of tautly woven plot lines, insane pacing, and relentless suspense. As always, Box captures the essence of the region with its breathtaking, serene beauty and camouflaged dangers. His descriptive prose transports readers into the towering mountains with panoramic views, deep valleys, and crystal-clear rivers to experience the power of mother nature and bear witness to the fact that she can turn on a dime according to the season and weather. Joe’s constant battle to maintain his integrity and follow his high moral compass are at the heart of the story, driving agonizing decisions he’s forced to make each time he’s faced with stepping over that gray line for a friend. Character development is huge in each book, but greater still in the series overall. The cast is rounded out with an outstanding group of supporting characters who often find themselves trapped in deadly plots of their own. Fans of the series will devour Battle Mountain as I did. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy action-packed, intense suspense thrillers.